Monday, 13 February 2012

Where in London do you find gigantic Chinese lanterns floating at chimney height ...

... and Mandarin on street signs?

Chinatown is vibrant with colour at any time of the year ...

but around the time of Chinese New Year it pops with the bright reds ...

This part of Soho has played host to lots of different immigrant communities - French Huguenots, Italians, Jews, Maltese ... and since the 1950s, Chinese. It's not only home to some of London's best Chinese restaurants, but also a thriving community ...

(Can you feel how cold it is just now?)

Dragon years are auspicious ones in Chinese astrology. Forget Western notions of the dragon as a dangerous, evil creature to be slayed; it is a benevolent creature, a symbol of strength, fertility, happiness and good fortune. Sounds to me what we all need right now.

My thoughts were not dwelling on dragons last week, but on getting inside to some warmth, delicious dumplings and fragrant Chinese tea ...